Research Questions

Great copy ideas don’t come out of thin air. They come from research. The following questions will help you …

come from research. They The following questions will help you get the information you need to write kickass copy—fast.

IDEAS: Get the ID transformation in here. Maybe sort the questions by “customer-centric” and then business info.

When I go through these… intro each section. Explain it to them as they go.

Some people are easy t otalk to, others need the why, a little guidance. give it to them! TALK ABOUT THEIR PROBLEMS.

customer persona

• What does you typical customer look like? What do they want?
• Why do they want it? Why do they want that? (Keep going)
• When they reach out to you, are they feeling stressed, worried, uncertain, angry, or overwhelmed by anything?
• Is there anything in the way of them getting what they need?
• What is important about your product to current customers? (ask them)

philo copy bit

Fill in the blank:

• Getting your [basic service] shouldn’t/doesn’t have to be _ .
• You deserve _ .

what’s at stake?

• What do they have to lose by not acting?
• What’s at stake if they go with another provider?

benefits

• What are the benefits of working with you?
• What are all the features of your product?
• Do you take any special measures?
• What does the process/quality control look like?
• Why do you do it this way?
• What options does the product come in?
• How big is your team? Why is that an advantage?
• Are you just the hardest working team in show business? (Hertz)

empathy

• Do you relate to their struggles in any way?
• Why did you start the company?

authority

• How do your current clients find you?
• Do you have any awards/accolades/press/certifications?
• How long have you been in business?
• How many clients have you served?
• Anything you’re the biggest, best, first at? (check authority swipes?)
• Anything else you believe makes you an authority in this space?

hesitations/objections

• What are the main hesitations or objections customers have? What are they afraid of?
• What are the most common questions you get asked when people call for service?
• What are the most common complaints you hear related to your service?
• If you could magically improve some aspect of your product, what would it be?

plan

• What’s the first step in doing business with you?
• Then what?
• Do you offer anything free–an easy yes?

agreement

• Do you offer any warranties or guarantees?
• What service or support comes from with your product?

urgency

• What do they have to lose by waiting?
• Is anything limited in your service?

concession

• Why shouldn’t they buy from you? Do they have other options?
• What about your product isn’t easy and amazing? What kind of sucks (price, onboarding, scheduling, etc.)?
• When is your product not a good fit?

stories

• Are there any interesting stories about your product? Obstacles overcome? False starts leading to brilliant realizations? A big break?

getting even more info

• Can you hop on an online forum for market immersion?
• What info already exist—previous ads, brochures, direct mailers, etc.?
• What are the competition up to?

customer experience (voice/tone principles)

• What is the experience you want them to have working with you?
• What do they say they like?

Include a plain text download to use without all the extra crap.